As part of this agreement, Caproni were to develop a replacement for the Belgium Air Force's Fairey Fox biplanes, which were used as two-seat fighters and reconnaissance aircraft, but were obsolete.

[1] It was a low-winged cantilever monoplane of mixed construction, with a metal skinned steel-tube fuselage and wood and fabric wings, powered by a single Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs V12 engine.

[2][3] The Ca.335 prototype was built at Caproni's Ponte San Pietro factory, making its maiden flight there on 16 February 1939.

[4] On 14 March 1940, the prototype was being demonstrated to the French Armee de l'Air at Orléans when it was damaged in a minor landing accident.

It had not been repaired when the Germans invaded France and the Low Countries, stopping SABCA's production plans.